How life has changed in North West Leicestershire

North West Leicestershire's population increased by about 8,000 between the last two censuses. This semi-automated article highlights some of the key changes among the local population.

The population passed 93,000

In the decade to 2011, the population of North West Leicestershire increased by 9.3%, from about 85,500 to 93,500.

The addition of just under 8,000 people means this area's population increased faster than the rate of growth across England (up 7.9% since the 2001 census).

In 2011, North West Leicestershire was home to, on average, 2.4 people per football pitch-sized piece of land.

Population density was similar to the average across the East Midlands

Population density (usual residents per football pitch-sized piece of land) across the East Midlands, March 2011 (larger dots represent greater increase since 2001)

An older North West Leicestershire

Census 2011 data also show a change in the local population's average age.

Between the last two censuses, the median age of North West Leicestershire increased by three years, from 39 to 42 years.

This area had a higher average age than the East Midlands and remained somewhat older than the average local authority area across England (39 years of age).

The rise in age was because of an increase of just over 3,700 people between the ages of 60 and 69 years, while the population between 30 and 39 years decreased by almost 2,000.

About 13.0% of people in North West Leicestershire are aged between 60 and 69 years

Percentage of usual residents in England, East Midlands and North West Leicestershire by 10 year age band, March 2001 and March 2011

Changes in family structure

North West Leicestershire saw the East Midlands' third-largest fall in the proportion of households with adult children living with their parents.

In 2011, just over 1 in 10 (10.1%) households in North West Leicestershire had only adult children living with their parents, compared with 10.8% in 2001. The percentage with at least one child decreased from 29.5% to 29.3%.

Across the region, only Hinckley and Bosworth (from 11.0% to 9.7%) and Melton (from 10.0% to 9.1%) saw a greater decrease in the proportion of households with adult children living with their parents.

During this period, North West Leicestershire went from having the fourth-highest to the 13th-highest percentage of households with only adult children living with their parents out of 309 English local authority areas.

The proportion of households with only adult children living with their parents was higher than across the East Midlands

Percentage of households where a parent lived with their adult children across local authority areas in the East Midlands and the average across England, March 2011

Religion in North West Leicestershire

The 2011 Census asked a voluntary question about religion. Of those who chose to disclose their religious affiliation, the largest percentage point increase in North West Leicestershire was among those who said they had no religion, rising 13.8 points.

In 2011, 29.3% of respondents in North West Leicestershire gave this answer to the question on religion, compared with 15.5% of those who answered in 2001.

Across the East Midlands, the percentage of people who answered the question on religion and described themselves as having no religion increased from 16.8% to 29.2%, while across England the percentage went from 15.7% to 26.5%.

Of those who disclosed their religion in North West Leicestershire, 69.2% said they were Christian, compared with 83.6% in 2001. About 0.5% said they identified with a religion other than Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism or Sikhism, compared with 0.2% a decade prior.

The percentage of people who disclosed a religious affiliation and said they were Hindu increased from 0.2% to 0.4%.

In North West Leicestershire, 6.3% chose not to answer the question on religious affiliation, compared with 6.6% in 2001. Across the East Midlands, 6.8% did not answer the voluntary question, compared with 7.7% in 2001. Across England, 7.2% of people did not answer, compared with 7.7% in 2001.

The population that said they had no religion in North West Leicestershire increased by 14 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents who answered the voluntary question on religion in England, East Midlands and North West Leicestershire by religion, March 2001 and March 2011

Disability in North West Leicestershire

The percentage of North West Leicestershire residents whose day-to-day activities are limited a lot by a long-term health problem or disability increased from 3.4% to 4.0% in the 10 years leading up to 2011.

In 2011, just under 1 in 13 (7.5%) reported being limited a little in their day-to-day activities, compared with 7.6% in 2001. The percentage of North West Leicestershire residents whose day-to-day activities are not limited by a long-term health problem or disability remained close to 88.6%.

The proportion of people who are considerably limited by a long-term health problem or disability increased at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the East Midlands (from 3.4% in 2001 to 4.0% in 2011). Across England, the percentage increased from 3.1% to 3.8%.

The proportion of people who are limited a lot by a long-term health problem or disability was lower than across the East Midlands

Percentage of usual residents that reported being considerably limited in their day-to-day activities across local authority areas in the East Midlands and the average across England, March 2011

Rise in private renting

The percentage of households in North West Leicestershire that rented privately increased from 5.4% to 11.3% in the decade leading up to the most recent census.

In 2011, just over one in seven (14.3%) households lived in social housing, compared with 16.1% in 2001. The percentage of North West Leicestershire households that owned their home decreased from 76.2% to 72.5%.

The proportion of privately rented homes increased at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the East Midlands (from 8.5% in 2001 to 14.9% in 2011). Across England, the percentage increased from 9.9% to 16.9%.

Private renting in North West Leicestershire increased by 5.8 percentage points

Percentage of households in North West Leicestershire, the East Midlands and England that rented privately, March 2001 and March 2011

Changing relationships in North West Leicestershire

The percentage of adults in North West Leicestershire that were married decreased from 57.1% to 52.6% in the 10 years leading up to the latest census.

In 2011, just under 3 in 10 (28.3%) people aged 16 and over said they were single, compared with 24.7% in 2001. The percentage of adults in North West Leicestershire that had divorced or separated from a married or civil partner increased from 9.9% to 11.9%.

The proportion of married people fell at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the East Midlands (from 53.4% in 2001 to 48.5% in 2011). Across England, the percentage fell from 50.6% to 46.6%.

The proportion of married people was higher than across the East Midlands

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 and over that said they were married across local authority areas in the East Midlands and the average across England, March 2011

Health improved

The percentage of North West Leicestershire residents that described their health as bad or very bad decreased from 8.8% to 5.2% between the last two censuses.

Rates are standardised to account for variation in age, which can impact the local population's health.

In 2011, just over 8 in 10 (81.0%) said their health was good or very good, compared with 67.4% in 2001. The percentage of North West Leicestershire residents that described their health as fair decreased from 23.8% to 13.9%.

The proportion of residents that perceived their health as bad or very bad fell at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the East Midlands (from 9.4% in 2001 to 5.7% in 2011). Across England, the percentage fell from 9.1% to 5.5%.

These data are people’s own opinions in describing their overall health. They may be inconsistent with other measures of health, such as NHS records.

The percentage of people in ’bad’ or ’very bad’ health in North West Leicestershire decreased by 3.7 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in North West Leicestershire, the East Midlands and England said their health was bad or very bad, March 2001 and March 2011

Fewer people worked long hours

The percentage of employed people in North West Leicestershire working more than 49 hours in the week before the census decreased from 15.4% to 11.8% in the decade to 2011.

In 2011, just under 1 in 40 (2.5%) people aged 16 to 74 (in employment the week before the Census 2011) said they had worked less than 16 hours the previous week, compared with 1.5% in 2001.

The proportion of people working long hours fell at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the East Midlands (from 13.5% in 2001 to 10.0% in 2011). Across England, the percentage fell from 13.0% to 10.1%.

Long hour working in North West Leicestershire decreased by 3.6 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 to 74 (in employment the week before the Census 2011) in North West Leicestershire, the East Midlands and England that said they had worked over 49 hours the week before completing the census, March 2001 and March 2011

More people cohabiting

The percentage of households in North West Leicestershire, which comprised a cohabiting couple, increased from 9.4% to 11.0% in the 10 years leading up to 2011.

In 2011, just over one in four (27.1%) households had only one person, compared with 25.8% in 2001. The percentage of households in North West Leicestershire which comprised a married couple (with or without children) decreased from 43.7% to 39.2%.

The proportion of households with an unmarried couple increased at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the East Midlands (from 8.7% in 2001 to 10.5% in 2011). Across England, the percentage increased from 8.3% to 9.9%.

The percentage of households with a cohabiting couple was higher than across the East Midlands

Percentage of households that had an unmarried couple across local authority areas in the East Midlands and the average across England, March 2011

Ethnicity in North West Leicestershire

In 2011, 97.6% of North West Leicestershire residents said they were from one of the White ethnic groups, making it the most common ethnicity in this local authority area. The population from these groups has increased from 98.8% in 2001.

Across the East Midlands, the percentage of people from one of the White ethnic groups fell from 93.2% to 88.9%, while across England the percentage went from 90.7% to 85.1%.

Around 1.2% of people in North West Leicestershire said they were from the Asian or Asian British ethnic groups, compared with 0.5% in 2001. About 0.9% said they were from Mixed/multiple ethnic groups (White and Asian, White and Black African, White and Black Caribbean or Other Mixed), compared with 0.5% a decade prior.

The percentage of people who said they were from the Black, Black British, Caribbean or African ethnic groups increased from 0.1% to 0.2%.

The population from one of the White ethnic groups in North West Leicestershire decreased by 1.2 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in England, East Midlands and North West Leicestershire by ethnicity, March 2001 and March 2011

Changing work life

The percentage of North West Leicestershire residents that were unemployed increased from 2.4% to 3.4% in the decade leading up to the most recent census.

In 2011, just under 6 in 10 (56.3%) people aged 16 to 74 said they were employed, compared with 57.4% in 2001. The percentage of North West Leicestershire residents that were self-employed increased from 8.3% to 9.3%.

The proportion of unemployed people increased at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the East Midlands (from 3.4% in 2001 to 4.2% in 2011). Across England, the percentage increased from 3.4% to 4.4%.

The rate of unemployment in North West Leicestershire increased by 1 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 to 74 in North West Leicestershire, the East Midlands and England that said they were unemployed, March 2001 and March 2011

Change in unpaid care

The percentage of North West Leicestershire residents that provided between 20 and 49 hours of weekly unpaid care increased from 1.2% to 1.4% in the 10 years leading up to the latest census.

In 2011, just over 1 in 40 (2.5%) reported providing at least 50 hours of unpaid care each week, compared with 2.2% in 2001.

The proportion of people providing between 20 and 49 hours of weekly unpaid care increased at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the East Midlands (from 1.2% in 2001 to 1.4% in 2011). Across England, the percentage increased from 1.1% to 1.4%.

The proportion of people providing between 20 and 49 hours of weekly unpaid care in North West Leicestershire remained close to 1.4%

Percentage of usual residents in England, East Midlands and North West Leicestershire by care, March 2001 and March 2011

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